Russian officials have stated that Ukrainian drone strikes have killed five people, targeting industrial and warehouse sites near Moscow and St Petersburg. Meanwhile, a soldier reportedly killed four people in Russian-controlled Crimea.

In Ukraine, at least four civilians have died in recent Russian attacks on cities in the north and south, including two young girls aged 5 and 10. The children and a woman were killed in Sumy after Russian forces dropped eight guided bombs on the northeastern city, according to regional military chief Oleh Hryhorov. Six of the bombs hit civilian sites, while Ukrainian forces intercepted two.

Further south, an 89-year-old woman was killed in Mykolaiv, and seven others were wounded, regional military governor Heorhii Reshetylov said.

Russia continues its invasion launched in February 2022, while Ukraine has intensified long-range drone strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Turkey has condemned the increasing threat to civilian shipping in the Black Sea following drone attacks on two Turkish-owned vessels, Yasar and Nadezhda, which left several crew members injured. The Turkish Foreign Ministry reported the attacks occurred after the vessels left the Russian port of Novorossiysk late on Monday, and the condition of the wounded is being closely monitored. Police noted a 52-year-old suffered injuries and a concussion.

Kherson, a city with around 280,000 residents before the war, was occupied by Russian forces from March to November 2022 before being retaken by Ukraine in a counter-offensive.

In 2024, Ukraine's commander-in-chief Zaluzhnyi was dismissed following disagreements with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the war's conduct.

Notable quotes include concerns about the escalating conflict affecting civilian shipping in the Black Sea and calls for urgent measures to ensure navigation safety.

Sources